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It was Monday morning, and Max sat in the front row of the classroom as the math teacher, Mr. Schmidt, approached him with a stern expression. “Max, you really need to improve. This can’t go on,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. Max looked at him and thought how unfair it all was. Math wasn’t the problem; it was the teachers who never left him alone. He rolled his eyes and muttered, “Yeah, I’m doing my best.”
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But in his head, thoughts were boiling over. What if I just disappear? Start a new life where I’m not constantly judged? Max had had enough of the constant demands placed on him. He wanted to experience adventures like those in the crime series he watched so often. One that he particularly liked was set in a tropical paradise. The image of the Caribbean was vivid in his mind, and he dreamed of being there, far away from school and its pressures.
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After math class, it was gym, and Max wasn’t looking forward to that either. “Hey, Max, wanna go to McDonald’s after school?” asked Leon, his extroverted friend, as they walked to the gym. “Maybe,” Max replied vaguely. Leon shrugged. He never really thought about Max’s inner struggles. For him, everything was fine as long as they could laugh together and share jokes.
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In the gym, students were running around while the gym teacher shouted at them, as always. Max felt out of place. He imagined what it would be like if he could just lift off into the sky and fly over the city, far away from all this. But I’m trapped here, and there’s no way out.
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The thoughts kept swirling in his mind as he failed to catch the ball. His classmates seemed barely to notice him, and that hurt. During the break, they all sat together, laughing about a classmate who complained about the lunch. Max pretended to laugh along, but in reality, he felt like a shadow.
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“What’s wrong with you? You’re so quiet,” asked Sarah, who sat next to him. “Nothing, I’m just thinking,” Max replied, forcing a smile. In truth, he was trapped in his thoughts. I just want to get away from here.
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After school, he went home and found his family gathered around the dinner table. “Put your phone away; we want to chat a bit,” his mother insisted. “We didn’t have phones back in the day, and it was much nicer,” she added. Max nodded and set his phone on the table. “Your little sister has better grades in math than you; maybe you should take a leaf out of her book,” she said, looking at him earnestly.
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“Yeah, yeah, I’m doing my best,” murmured Max. He knew it wasn’t the teachers holding him back; it was himself. The challenges he imposed on himself felt like a heavy backpack he couldn’t put down. I don’t want to be the only one left behind.
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“How was your day?” asked his brother, who was sitting in the corner, hastily gulping down his food. “It was okay; you know how school is,” Max replied. His brother grinned as if he didn’t really understand him.
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After dinner, Max sat alone in his room and scrolled through his phone. He lost himself in the images and memories of others who led exciting lives. What would it be like to leave everything behind? These questions occupied his mind constantly. He couldn’t shake the thought of starting a new life, of having a new identity. Could I just disappear like that?
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Time passed, and his thoughts didn’t settle. He wondered if it was really possible. Yet at the same time, he felt the responsibility his family placed on him. He would miss them; he knew that. But all of this felt heavier than he thought.
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Finally, Max decided to skip school the next day. Maybe that was what he needed – a day for himself to just enjoy life and see what it would be like without pressure. He imagined leaving the school walls behind and running to the park, where he could feel the wind in his hair.
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But what if I get caught? he thought, shaking his head. Still, it felt good to make that decision.
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I need this. I can’t go on like this.
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With that thought, he lay down in bed and tried to find a few hours of sleep. The idea of simply not going to school tomorrow made his heart race. He was excited and anxious at the same time.
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Max was an average student, someone who didn’t stand out and often kept to the background. But in his thoughts, he was much more. And maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of his criminal side that could lead him down a whole new path.
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